The Narrow Way!

There are two Gates and two Ways! Two Ways and Two Destinies! The important point is- the size of the gates and ways and the number of people entering through it. The proof that you entered through the Narrow Gate is that you walk through the Narrow Way!

Luke 13:23-25

Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

Matthew 7:13

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction… but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Are there only a few saved?

People asked Jesus, Lord, how many of us will be there in heaven? What percentage of your friends and relatives will be saved? O, Lord, you are merciful and compassionate- You will not allow us all to end up in hell.

Listen to what the Lord answered. He told them to make every effort, use every strength and resources, spend any amount of time, suffer to any extent- but make sure that you enter through the Narrow Gate. Many will try but will not make it. Why? They will not be persistent! They give up half the way. But you endure until the end.

Because, a time is coming- the gate will be closed. You will knock at the door but the entry will be refused.

In the parallel passage in Matthew 7, we read, people will make many claims, they will speak out the works they had done in His name, they claim their credit- but the Lord will say “I never knew you”.

There are two gates and two ways.

The important point is- the size of the gates and ways and the number of people entering through it.

None loves the word ‘Narrow’. We love to be broadminded. Why does the world not like the gospel? It’s narrow!. It proclaims, ‘Only one way to be saved! Not many ways! Only one Lord! Not many Lords!’

We love pluralism! We want options! But there is no option in christianity. It’s the Narrow Way.

We have the help of God available all the time to walk through this way, if we acknowledge our failures and inabilities. We have the grace of God available through His Spirit-if we seek for Him.

This was not spoken to the world, atheists or gentiles.

These were the words spoken to the disciples who followed Jesus.

We read in Matthew 7:22, they were the people who called Him, “Lord, Lord”.

They had a name that they were believers. But their hearts were not right with the Lord. They didn’t care about His commandments. They had their own way of interpreting God’s Work. They justified all their actions themselves.

My brothers and sisters, you and I can be in this danger!

Two Roads, Two Destinies

We hear a lot about the narrow gate. We hear it in almost every denomination. We hear there is only one narrow gate that is Jesus Christ. If we get through any other gate we cannot get into heaven and there is no hope outside Christ. In fact, every preacher speaks about it, every believer believes it. We know that gate is our Lord Jesus Christ!

We read in Acts 4:12

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Our Lord said in John 10:9

“I am the door: by me if any man enters in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture”.

One of the dangerous things we can do is to teach the half of a truth. What is the danger? We see only one side of the coin!

Speaking only about the narrow gate is a half truth. Many people are deceived because they love to hear only the half truth. What is the result? They think they are saved but in fact they are not saved. They think they are on their way to heaven but in reality they are moving towards hell. They think they are doing things that honour God but it is evident from their life that they stand with the world.

If you look at what the Lord said, there is not only a Gate but there is a Way as well.

A Narrow Gate and a Narrow Way!

Look into the lives of the majority of believers, they claim that they passed through the narrow gate but we know they are walking through the broad way.

They live exactly like any other people in the world. Their value system is not much different from the value system of most in the world.

Why they believe so, because they claim that years ago they prayed a prayer and asked Jesus to come into their life.

What is the Narrow Gate?

It’s the Lord Jesus Christ. One has to recognise that He is the saviour. One has to repent of his sins. He has to surrender his life to Jesus Christ. He has to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. Here a new journey begins! He entered the Narrow Gate!

What is the evidence that you have truly passed through this Narrow Gate?

Your life has been changed. You are walking in the Narrow Way!

The very things you liked once are hated now. You are living a life which is mostly in contrast to the lifestyle that you once followed. It’s a Narrow Way! You are obeying the commandments of the Lord and conform your lifestyle to them. You are different now- in your thinking, speech, actions, attitude and intentions!

The proof that you entered through the Narrow Gate is that you walk through the Narrow Way!

The same power (God’s power) that enabled you to get through the Narrow Gate will keep you walking through the Narrow Way the rest of your life.

If you are interested only in a church membership and attending services, not caring how you relate to other believers, not worrying about your fellowship with the other brothers and sisters, have no passion for the church and God’s Kingdom, not keen in observing the commandments of the Lord taught in the Church, no desire of growing in holiness, but carelessly spending your time for the world, worldly things, entertainments and enjoyments, love the company of unbelievers more than the fellowship of believers- my brother, sister, you are not saved at all! You are not a follower of Christ!

Life presents every person with a choice between two paths:

The wide road — easy, popular, and comfortable.

The Narrow Way — difficult, disciplined, and often lonely.

Everyone in this room is already walking on one of them.

The wide road requires no effort. You don’t have to choose it. When you are born, you are born into it. When you are brought up, you are brought up in it. It follows culture, trends, and human desires. There is none to correct you, discipline you. You will never hear someone saying you that you are wrong. You have the freedom you desire. But its end is destruction.

The wide road is crowded. Loud. Comfortable. You see the majority there. You see great men and women of the world, well known personalities, celebrities, men of authority, your teachers, friends, relatives there. You feel comfortable and excited there. You find yourself justified there. How can the whole world be wrong? How can educated men be wrong? How can the teachers be wrong?

But the Bible says

1 Corinthians 1:27

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”

Luke 16:15

“And he said to them, 'You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.'" (NKJV)

The wide road doesn’t look dangerous at first. It looks like success. It looks popular.

It looks like everyone else. It’s scrolling endlessly, comparing your life to others…

It’s laughing at sin because culture says it’s normal…It’s knowing what’s right—but choosing what’s wrong and easy.

And the most dangerous part?

You don’t even realize you are lost.

But the voice of Jesus Christ cuts through the noise and says:

“That road leads to destruction.”

Why Is the Narrow Way Hard?

The narrow path challenges us because it goes against:

• Our natural desires

• Social pressure

• The pursuit of our comfort and instant gratification of our carnal desires.

When anyone comes to Christ, he is giving up the old style of life, giving up the broad way of self destruction and entering through the narrow gate and walking through the narrow way to reach the life promised by God.

When the apostles were called, they did the same thing. All through the centuries, every man and woman of God had to choose this. They left the earthly abundant life which is by the way temporal and chose heavenly eternal life over it.

The narrow way costs us everything. It may cost us our friendships. It may cost us our lifestyles, our pleasures and comforts, our earthly ambitions.

Why Few Find It?

Many don’t choose the Narrow Way because:

-It Demands a Change- We are too big in our own eyes to go through the gate and the way. We need to humble ourselves, willing to be broken in the hands of God, get rid of every worldly weight we acquired over the period of our life since birth. Most people do not want to change. They want to be what they are.

-It Requires Surrender- We need to surrender our life completely to the Lord Jesus Christ. He should be our Lord and Master. A new relationship begins there. We have been purchased by Him (1 Corinthians 6:20). We don’t belong to us anymore. Man is proud. He doesn’t want to yield his will to anyone naturally. He doesn’t like to be under any authority. We see it everywhere. Right from children to adults, irrespective of their age, we see them rebelling with authority.

-It involves trust in something else greater than ourselves- It's human nature that we don’t trust others. We trust in ourselves. Walking in the Narrow Way totally depends on our Lord. We put complete trust in Him alone. Every single step we take is in faith. We face our future trusting only in God. We live not by sight but by faith. But most of the world doesn't follow the path of faith, they can’t understand it. They believe in what they see.

The Reward of the Narrow Way:-

Though difficult, the narrow path leads to:

• True peace

• The True Purpose

• Eternal life

It produces character, strength, and a deeper relationship with God.

Walking the Narrow Path Daily:-

You are alone in this path. You may find other believers walking in their tracks. You can’t walk this way for your wife or children or any beloved one. This is personal. Each one has to make this choice.

But you are not alone either! The Lord is with you! This is a life of abundance! Abundance of peace, rest, hope, and assurance. You will never feel lonely! You will never have regret! You reflect the character of your Lord! You will live like He lived! 

We read in Matthew 16:24/ Mark 8:34/ Luke 9:23

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me”.

We read about the cost of walking in the Narrow Way in Luke 14:26-33.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples”. 

By Pastor Renji George

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 1:27, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 John 4:1, Acts 4:12, Galatians 5:22-23, James 1:2, John 10:9, John 14:6, John 6:40, Luke 13:23-25, Luke 14:26-33, Luke 16:15, Luke 9:23, Mark 8:34, Matthew 16:24, Matthew 7:13, Matthew 7:22, Matthew 7:13-25, Matthew 7, Revelation 20:15

Sermon Topics: Eternity, Discipleship, Cross, Cost, Alone, Narrow Way, Narrow Gate, Two Ways, Broad Way